Security, storage and systems management services provider Symantec is rolling out its own internally developed e-commerce solution. It will not extend its contract with e-commerce solutions provider Digital River beyond its June 30, 2010 expiration.

Two weeks after Direct Marketing Association board and executive committee member Gerry Pike launched a Web site — ABetterDMA.org — questioning the group's governance, DMA shot back with a cease-and-desist letter from its legal counsel.

Sears Holdings is bolstering the layaway programs of its Sears and Kmart stores with an online service. The program will launch October 9. Sears told 'DMNews' in August that it was seeing more use of layaway service during the back-to-school season. Therefore, it will make the service available to more consumers.

Amazon Payments LLC, an Amazon.com company, released a mobile payment system on October 5. Amazon Mobile Payments Service lets the company's merchants process transactions via mobile phone and allows consumers to check out using Amazon's 1-Click.

Multichannel retailer HSNi has promoted Mark Ethier to CEO of its Cornerstone business, with responsibility for maximizing the catalog division's performance. The company announced the move on October 5. Ethier was previously HSNi's EVP and COO, overseeing all aspects of operations across the HSN, HSN.com and Cornerstone divisions.

In data released October 6, the National Retail Federation predicted a less-than-merry 1% decline in this year's holiday retail sales. The country was already months into an economic crisis when the holiday season hit last year, and the retail industry experienced a dramatic 3.4% drop in overall sales.

Retailer 1-800-Flowers is increasingly finding social media an ideal place to connect with customers.

Multichannel outdoor gear and apparel merchant Eastern Mountain Sports has relaunched its e-commerce Web site as part of an ongoing rebranding that includes larger new stores in key markets. GSI Commerce developed the site with a focus on enhancing the customer experience to make it similar to a store visit.

Swedish home furnishings retailer Ikea will launch a digital campaign with AOL next month that includes display advertising, custom content and a microsite. The effort signals a new commitment to US digital media on the part of the multichannel merchant. Ikea's media AOR, Mediaedge:cia, helped to choose AOL for the initiative.

Multichannel outdoor apparel and gear merchant Gander Mountain announced September 28 that it plans to become a private company in order to improve its performance. Despite a recent push into multichannel retailing, Gander Mountain is struggling. For its fiscal second quarter ending August 1, the company reported a consolidated net loss of $7.3 million, more than the $4.9 million reported during the same period last year.